While making this site and going through old soup recipes that I've made, I have become stumped a few times. That's not to say I haven't run more soups in restaurants that aren't posted here, I've just not felt like making some of the ones I've made in the past at that time. That's when I start looking around online for inspiration to make soups I haven't had the pleasure of trying before. That's where this amazing soup comes in.
This is a beautiful blend of Creole and Asian that is sometimes referred to as "Old Sober" as it is frequently suggested for people with hangovers. From what I read it originated in China Town of New Orleans (now defunct) when there were a lot of migrant workers at the time working on railroads. There are numerous variations of this soup but there are common threads. Noodles, braised meat, vegetables and a rich spicy broth are all the common components of this dish.
The end product of this soup is essentially an enriched broth with carrots, onions, mushrooms, noodles, sliced beef, hard boiled eggs, and pepper slaw all kept separate then combined when picked up. I did this because I wanted to keep the quality of all the components at their best as well as prolong the life of the soup itself.
This particular iteration is a multi-step process. First I marinated and put a hard char on the brisket and onions to make that the base flavor. I seasoned the braising liquid and cooked the meat until tender. Afterwards I strained and pureed it to give it texture. The noodles are also kept apart to ensure quality as well. From there I plated it with the noodles, vegetables, sliced beef, hard boiled eggs, and pepper slaw.
Enjoy.
Ingredients
Brisket Marinade
Brisket 3#
Avenue Spice 2 T
Cilantro* 3 oz
Mustard Powder 1 T
Oregano, fresh 1 oz
Sesame Oil 1 T
Creole Spice 2 tsp
Tapatio (or other hot sauce) 1 T
Garlic, sliced 4 ea cloves
Ginger, sliced 3 oz
Score the brisket with a knife making cross hatches on the skin side.
Mix all ingredients for the marinade and coat thoroughly.
Refrigerate for 24 hours.
*I used Vietnamese cilantro that I was growing in my garden which is why the leaves look different from traditional cilantro. You can sub out the more common one.
Brisket Braise
Onion, cut in half, charred 2 ea
Beef Stock 3 qt
Soy Sauce 1/4 cup
Worchestershire 2 T
Hoisin 1 T
Mirin 1/4 cup
Sherry 1/4 cup
Rice Wine Vinegar 2 T
Avenue Spice 1 T
Creole Spice 1 T
After you get a hard char on both the brisket and the onions place into a braising pan and bring to a boil with all the ingredients.
Drop to a simmer and braise until tender, around 4 hours depending on the thickness of the brisket.
Remove the brisket from heat and reserve until later.
Puree the braising liquid thoroughly and strain through a large sieve colander to remove any possible chunks.
Soup
Braising Liquid 4 qt
Beef Stock 2 qt
Shiitake Mushrooms 12 oz
Onions, julienned 1 ea
Garlic, sliced 4 cloves
Ginger, minced 1 T
Cajun Spice 1 T
Worcestershire 2 T
Soy Sauce 3 T
Mustard Powder 2 T
Spaghetti* 12 oz
Rice Vermicelli* 12 oz
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
*I used a combination of two noodles for this dish. I did it for texture within the soup but you can substitute any type of noodle for this soup.
Garnish
Hard boiled eggs, pepper slaw, chives
Method of Procedure
Marinate and char the brisket on the grill getting hard marks. At this time char your onion as well.
Braise and cool the meat, pureeing the remaining liquid and vegatables.
In your soup pot saute your onion, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms until tender.
Add your Cajun spice and your mustard power and continue to cook while stirring until everything is mixed.
Deglaze the pan with your Worcestershire and soy sauce. Add your braising liquid and beef stock.
Bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer for 1 hour. Taste and season to your liking adding more heat, acid, salt, etc.
Boil off your pasta according to the directions on the package.
To serve place your hot pasta in a bowl and ladle the mushroom onion soup on top of the noodles. Slice your brisket into strips and place on top along with a hard boiled egg, and pepper slaw. Garnish with chives.
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